Monday, September 5, 2011

I was reading some comments under this peach gelee video on YouTube, and was shocked by the number of “omg! the sugar!!” type remarks. People, this is a candy, not a dessert. Candy is supposed to be an extraordinarily indulgent bite, enjoyed in small amounts only on certain very rare and special occasions.

Unfortunately, candy has lost its specialness, and somehow turned into a casual snack. We've gone from enjoying it at a couple sacred yearly festivals, to eating several handfuls a day. Let’s face it, the only reason you go up and chat with that receptionist is because she works behind a giant fishbowl filled with mini Snickers bars. Everybody knows.

Well, this fresh peach gelee is not that kind of candy. This is an old fashioned, handcrafted candy that takes a little time and finesse to pull off. It’s simple and sweet, but looks and tastes like something you’re only suppose to enjoy a few times a year.

I’ve never made this before, but saw an easy-looking recipe here, and tweaked it by using lime instead of the more traditional lemon. The recipe worked like a charm, and has me thinking about a late fall version using spiced pears. The method really intensifies the fruit flavors, and I find the jellied texture it produces very addictive.

Anyway, I hope you find some nice ripe peaches, and give this a try soon. If you’ve had experience making these types of gelees with other fruits, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks, and enjoy!

I received a box of chocolates as a gift once, and in the center was a single gelee half dipped in chocolate. It's an easy way to fancy it up a little if you want, but it's not necessary (although I guess it made it seem more in place with the rest of the box). These are excellent without that, though.

I was wondering, do you think it would be possible to replace the liquid pectin by tangerine juice (which is rich in pectin) without messing too much with the flavour? How much juice would be necessary?

These looks a lot like a typical mexican candy called "ate" (the 'a' as in apple and the 'e' as in blend) and its simply delightful; here we do either with quince, guava, apple, or pear. And of course these one looks great and really yummy!

I love how you just coincidentally posted this right after the fam. and I came home from the farmer's market - I went w/ my dad to buy peaches at one stall, and my mom and brother went to different stalls. Turns out Mom also bought peaches - 18 pieces of peach altogether!! >.<

Long story short, I now know how to make use of them, and I will be sharing them for a banquet next week. Thanks!!

Hi, Chef John. Thanks for this recipe. Any idea how long these will keep? And should they be stored in the fridge or is room temperature okay? I'm thinking of making a batch for Christmas gifts, but would need to travel with them so timing is an issue.

I tried making these when you first put up the recipe and they were DELICIOUS! They came out amazing. I'm thinking about experimenting with different fruits when they're in season, like mangoes, strawberries, kiwi, oranges, limes, etc. I know I'll need to adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruits. I'll let you know my results :)

Hi Chef John, I am quite frustrated that my peach gelee failed to work 5 times. I reheated the mixture, added one lemon amount of lemon juice to the mixture, added an additional bag of pectin to the mixture and nothing worked. It just wouldn't harden. Can you tell me why mine failed so miserably?

Hi, I am from the Island of Barbados. We sell a local candy here, identical looking to your Peach Gelee. (That is why the picture caught my attention) It is actually made from the Guava fruit and is known as Guava Cheese!! It is an old fashioned local candy. Why it is called "Cheese" I would never know. All I do know that it taste very good and you have now made me want to try this version!!By the way ... I love your videos. They do help to bring a recipe to life!!

Chef John? Did you peel the peaches? Can't really tell from the video or the recipe directions. And do you let the mixture cool down a bit before you poured it over the plastic wrap?Cant wait to make this!Thanks :)